Touch screens allow a user to conveniently interface with an electronic display system by reducing or eliminating the need for a keyboard. For example, a user can carry out a complicated sequence of instructions by simply touching the screen at a location identified by a pre-programmed icon. The on-screen menu may be changed by re-programming the supporting software according to the application. As another example, a touch screen may allow a user to transfer text or drawings to an electronic display device by directly writing or drawing onto the touch screen.
Resistive and capacitive are two common touch sensing methods employed to detect the location of a touch input. Resistive technology typically incorporates two transparent conductive films as part of an electronic circuit that detects the location of a touch. Capacitive technology, on the other hand, typically uses a single transparent conductive film to detect the location of an applied touch.
A touch sensor generally includes a touch panel and an electronics circuitry for detecting a touch signal generated in response to a touch input applied to the touch panel. The electronics circuitry uses the detected touch signal to determine the location of the applied touch. Generally, multiple individual wires, each external to the touch panel, are used to electrically connect the touch panel to the electronics circuitry. Connecting individual wires to the touch panel is labor intensive, usually done by hand, and connections are often unreliable and can damage the panel, even rendering it inoperative.